Soccer-Inter look one dimensional again in defeat by Roma

Sat, 25 Sep 23:09:00 2010

The debate about whether treble
winners Inter Milan should have reinforced their squad in the
transfer window resurfaced on Saturday when the Italian and
European champions succumbed to a 1-0 league defeat at AS Roma.

Mirko Vucinic's injury-time diving header gave Roma their
first win of the league campaign and inflicted inconsistent
Inter's first Serie A defeat after five games.

New coach Rafael Benitez inherited practically the same side
Jose Mourinho led to success last term but the sale of Mario
Balotelli and the recruitment of untried youngsters like
Coutinho means strikers Samuel Eto'o, Diego Milito and Goran
Pandev all play at the same time with little option for change.

"There's no lack of quality alternatives in attack. Players
like Milito, Eto'o, Pandev and Coutinho aren't easy to find,"
Benitez told Sky television in a bid to defend his unit.

"I think we should have had more intensity at the end of the
game, we shouldn't have let them cross. But the problem isn't
the goal at the end, it's that we had 15 shots on goal and
should have scored before."

Montenegro's Vucinic was overjoyed to end Roma's sticky
patch at an excitable Stadio Olimpico and avenge August's
Italian Super Cup defeat by Inter, who narrowly beat the capital
side to the scudetto yet again last term.

"It's a goal that's worth so much to me and to the team,"
the substitute said. "The most important element tonight was the
fans.

"We have won against a very good side. But we know we are a
good team."